


Heist

by AgentLin



Category: EXO (Band), NCT (Band), SHINee, SuperM, WAYV
Genre: F/M, Multi, Super One, SuperM 100, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:26:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26144839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentLin/pseuds/AgentLin
Summary: A story inspired by SuperM’s latest comeback, Super One.
Relationships: SuperM Ensemble/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 47
Collections: goodgood fics





	1. Chapter 1

“I’m in.”

If you could kiss Ten, you would, but he was currently occupied. Besides you needed to focus, you were on a mission, and you had only just begun. One of your own had been taken, Lucas, and you were here to retrieve him. Getting on the train was the easy part, thanks to Mark, but nothing was ever that simple. 

You had all infiltrated the front car, only to find no one was actually operating the train, it drove itself. That made it easier for Ten to take control by hacking into the operating system and doing a manual override. Once he was in, small holographic screens appeared around his head as he began to go through the trains manifest and gain access to all systems. While he was doing that, best not to distract him.

“Good.” Taeyong said. “So where’s Lucas?”

“For starters there aren’t any cameras but that’s just where our problems begin.” Ten sighed. “The manifest says this train is carrying basic cargo, each car supposedly filled with crates. No one is meant to be here, there’s no real room.”

“Well of course he wouldn’t be on the manifest.” Mark stated. “He was kidnapped and he’s supposed to be taken somewhere discretely, hence the lack of cameras. Or is that not how abduction works anymore?”

“What I’m saying is that we’re going to have to check every train car for Lucas. And there are eight, not including this one.”

“Fuck.” Taeyong ran a hand through his hair. “Y/n, can you sense him?”

“No… I’ve got nothing… nothing at all… which is weird…”

“What do you mean?”

“Ten, can you bring up the train cars?”

“Sure.”

Ten did as you asked, projecting a mini holographic train in front of everyone. You stared at it for a while, trying to understand your own senses.

“It’s like… all the cars are dark. Usually I could at least sense objects, but it’s like I’m blocked… like this train is blocking my powers. I can’t sense or connect to anyone outside this car right now.”

“That’s not normal.” Mark said. “Is it?”

“Not at all… whoever took Lucas… they know about my powers, and how to cut me off.”

“If that’s the case then we can’t use you as a means of communication.” Ten said. “For your sake.”

“I don’t think my telepathy is hackable!” You countered. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, I can see that, I’m saying we can’t solely rely on your telepathic powers. If one of us gets locked in a car we’d wind up cut off from the others. Best to keep comms on as a back up.”

“Ten’s right.” Taeyong agreed. “We keep comms on, just to be safe, and we leave cars open, don’t wanna get trapped too.”

Taeyong went over and slid the side door open, his body sticking out a bit to look at the rest of the train cars. There were eight they needed to search.

“Mark and I can make our way to the last car, then work our way back up here. Y/n, you stay with Ten, keep him safe. I’m sure whoever owns this train knows there’s something wrong by now. Give me a deadline Ten.”

“In about twenty minutes we’ll be going into a tunnel, if we can have Lucas back by then I can stop the train and we can escape without eyes on us.”

“Perfect, keep us updated on what happens up here. Don’t cause trouble.”

“We won’t.”

“Be safe.” You said. “And fast.”

You gave both boys a kiss before Mark created a black portal on the ground. They both jumped in and disappeared, then the portal did too. For a moment you lost touch with them, their minds, but then you felt them again as they opened one of the car doors.

_“Can you hear me love?”_

_“Loud and clear. What do you see Mark?”_

_“Boxes, just like the manifest said.”_

_“You don’t sense Lucas do you?” Taeyong asked. “Please don’t tell me we’re gonna have to open the boxes.”_

_“No, I can sense the boxes, seems to be full of metal, no humans in them, move to the next car.”_

_“Got it, Ten, care to open the door?”_

_“Give me a sec.”_

Ten opened the next car door for the two, but just like the last, it was filled with boxes, and no Lucas. The third was the same and you began to feel anxious. The intel you had about Lucas being on this train was solid, Ten was never wrong with his hacking, and you trusted his words, but worry began to creep on you. A minor downside of your telepathic communication with the boys was that they were well aware of your current emotions.

_“Don’t worry y/n, we’ll find him.” Mark assured. “I know it.”_

_“And when we do, we’ll get out of here and throw a big party.” Taeyong added. “All your favorites.”_

_“Promise?”_

_“Of course baby.”_

His words certainly helped relax you, but that moment was short lived. As they entered car number four they became aware that things weren’t right. For starters the car was empty, which contradicted the manifest, but then again it wasn’t a complete lie, and you hated the fact that you couldn’t give them a heads up.

“You’re on my train.”

Another guy was in the car, which wasn’t entirely surprising, dressed in white, and calm. Surely whoever took Lucas wouldn’t just chuck him on a train without some form of security to make sure he didn’t escape. In fact seeing someone only confirmed to them Lucas was here.

_“Y/n, mind messing with this guy?”_

_“Hm? What are you talking about?”_

_“There’s another guy in the car with us.” Mark said. “Can you not sense him?”_

_“Another… no… no I can only sense both of you. What the hell!”_

_“That’s fine, we’ll deal with him.” Taeyong added. “This should be no prob-”_

The car door suddenly shut behind Taeyong and Mark, and instantly they lost connection with you. They both became visibly frustrated, but Tae was quickly on his comms.

“What the fuck, Ten.”

“Like you said, whoever owns the train would know something is wrong. I’m losing control.”

“Well get it back!”

“I’m busy with something else right now!”

“Shit.” Taeyong knew what he meant. “We’ll be fine, just take care of her.”

“I know! I’ll contact you when we’re good.”

“Are we just going to stand around?” The other guy asked. “Or are we going to fight.”

“Two against one.” Mark commented. “Not fair.”

“For you.”

Mark made the first move and charged, but his opponent was quick to dodge. In fact they handled themselves well against two. The fight wasn’t going in anyone’s favor for a while, but then things quickly took a turn. The door to the next car opened up, and Mark was kicked through before it shut. 

“Mark!”

“We can have more fun this way, can’t we?”

“You know I was going to nicely ask for our teammate back, but I’d rather beat your ass first.”

“You can try.”

When Mark fell into the next car he was surrounded by darkness. There was a bit of light that shined in for a second. It was just enough to see that the car was empty like the last. He quickly turned back around and slammed his fists on the door, but there was no way to get back to Taeyong. He was about to create a portal when he realized he wasn’t alone.

“Hello.”

Mark jumped when he saw himself in the middle of the car, the sudden flash of light making his doppelganger look creepy. Before he could respond the double disappeared and he seemed to be alone again. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, and slowly walked through the car. There was no one else, as far as he knew. For the moment he ignored it and contacted Ten.

“Ten, I got separated from Taeyong. I’m okay but he’s not on comms, and I can’t get back to him. Is y/n alright?”

When you lost your connection to Taeyong and Mark you collapsed to your knees, grabbing your head. You were usually constantly connected, had been for years, so not having that felt like something was wrong, like some part of you was missing. Losing Lucas hurt like hell, and it took a while before you had calmed down, so to lose two at once, and so sudden, you felt like someone had stabbed you.

Ten was quickly by your side when you collapsed, ignoring his other duties to make sure you were okay. You had to pull through, now wasn’t the time to fall apart, you were under attack, and right now you were distracting Ten. He was talking to you, offering words of comfort but you couldn’t really register anything. You took some deep breaths, and slowly regained your composure. Hearing Mark over the comms help remind you that just cause you weren’t linked didn’t mean they were unreachable.

“She’s better now.” Ten responded over comms. “What happened with you?”

“This other guy threw me into another car when the door opened, and it shut behind me. I can’t get back to Taeyong.”

“Fuck. Someone’s been taking back control of the train. I can try to kick them out of the system and get you back with Tae but it’s gonna take a minute.”

“I can-”

The comms suddenly went dead, screeching feedback into your ear. You quickly pulled out the ear piece, as did Ten, knowing the others probably did the same. The train wasn’t just being hacked, so was your communication, both human and inhuman.

“What do we do now?” You asked. “Taeyong and Mark-”

“Can take care of themselves. I just need to regain control of the train.”

“What have you lost?”

“Most of the access to the last few cars. Why?”

“Can you open the one behind us?”

“Yes, but-”

“If I can get to them, I can help. Or if anything maybe I’ll find Lucas.”

“Y/n-”

“I’m not going to stand here and do nothing. I can hold my own just like the rest of you.”

“I know but…”

“What? Can’t protect yourself?”

“I can!”

“Then open the door, the more we argue about this, the more time we waste.”

“Fine. Mark’s three cars away from here.”

“So Lucas has to be in one of those.”

“That’s the idea.”

When the feedback rang through the comms Taeyong ripped out his ear piece and threw it to the side. He was more concerned with the problem in front of him. The two kept eyeing each other, stalking, waiting for the other to make the first move.

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked.”

“Asked what?” 

“How it is that we can block your girls’ power.”

“I don’t-”

“Tell you what, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

“What?”

Before Taeyong could dwell on the words some more the guy before him disappeared in a mist. Then seemed to reappear behind him and kick him forward. Taeyong stumbled a few steps but stayed on his feet, turning around to see his attacker.

“That’s cheap.”

“Then show me you’re capable. Or are you afraid.”

“Fuck you.”

Taeyong remained still, and yet moved. This guy had the power to teleport, and he had a power too. Duplicates of himself manifested, created from where he stood, and moving away to take physical form. They were just like him, not an empty shell, capable of moving on their own and they could absolutely throw a punch. So besides himself, there were four others.

“Impressive.”

“I’ll show you impressive.”

“Please do.”

Despite the odds stacked in Tae’s favor, this guy could still hold his own. The teleporting did help, but then again they were in a small train car, not much room to move around anyway. So while Taeyong was busy, he was unaware of what was going on with the rest of his team. After losing contact with Ten and you, Mark tried to create another portal, but as he did so everything around him changed. It seemed he wasn’t on the train anymore, but some other plane.

“Not yet.”

Another guy was with Mark, wagging a finger at him. He looked around but the place seemed to be endless in either direction. There was no point running, and he wasn’t even sure he could portal out of here.

“Who the hell are you? What is this place?”

“In time… you’ll know…”

“Huh?”

“Now.”

A burst of white light blinded Mark for a second, then he was back in the train car. His eyes were still adjusting when the door behind him opened and he could see Taeyong, multiple Taeyong’s, fighting the guy from before. Mark didn’t hesitate to jump back into the fight, managing a hit before the guy disappeared before his eyes, just like the last.

“What the hell!”

“Mark behind you!”

Unlike the last, this guy reappeared within view and knocked Mark down. Taeyong helped him back up to his feet. They couldn’t keep doing this forever, the fight needed to end, and they needed to get back on mission. The door that had opened for Mark wasn’t the only one, it seemed all previous doors were open too. The boys didn’t need telepathy to get the same message across, all it took was a look.

With a goal in mind it was easier to fight. All they needed to do was overwhelm their opponent, cause surely teleporting would get exhausting. Taeyong added a few more duplicates to the mix, pushing through his own exhaustion to end the fight. Mark managed to make the last blow, kicking them in the back and throwing them on the ground. The guy tried to get up but it was clear the strength wasn’t there.

“Guys!” Ten’s voice could be heard screaming on comms. “Mark? Taeyong?”

Both put their comms set back in, Mark kicking the guy another time in the side of the chest to make sure he stayed down.

“Ten, perfect timing.” Taeyong said. “Is the train ours?”

“Mostly.”

“You think you can disconnect the fourth car from the train.”

“Yeah.”

“Excellent.”

Taeyong and Mark moved to the fifth car and then gave Ten the go ahead to separate the cars. They watched the other half of the train slow and come to a stop on the track. To celebrate they shared a quick fist bump and moved back into the car, shutting the door behind them. Although that moment of relief was short lived as they realized you weren’t there to connect them.

“Ten, is y/n okay?”

“About that…”

“What happened!”

“She went to go help you.”

“What!” Taeyong yelled. “What does that mean?!”

“I had enough control of the train to open the door behind us but once she went through it shut and I lost her.”

“You what! Why haven’t you gotten her back!”

“She’s not in as much danger as you were.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I…”

“Fuck.”

You were confident for a moment when you went off by yourself, but once you lost your connection to Ten you broke down again. You felt so alone, so impossibly alone, you couldn’t even move for a while. The car you had gone into was empty, and that just made it all worse. You screamed when another door opened, maybe it was Ten, maybe it wasn’t, but either way it was a reminder that you needed to be strong.

You wiped away your tears and forced yourself up, walking into the next car. It was dark at first, then the lights came up, revealing another empty room. The door you came through shut again and you started to get the sinking feeling that this wasn’t Ten but someone else messing with you. The next door opened, but this time you weren’t afraid, in fact you were relieved. You ran into the next car, happy to see that you had found who you were looking for.

“Lucas!”

“I knew you’d find your way to me.”

You ran into his arms, hugging him tight. Physically feeling him was great but not as great as connecting with him again. You missed his presence in your mind, so it was good to have him back, now you needed to reunite with the rest.

“Are you okay? I was so worried about you!”

“I’m fine love, they didn’t rough me up.”

“Good, now we need to get back to the others.”

“Is everyone else here?”

“Yeah, somewhere on this train that is.”

“Good, the gangs all here.”

“Of course, we weren’t gonna leave you behind. Now let’s get-”

The door shut, but this time you weren’t so worried since you weren’t alone. Lucas came up behind you and took your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“You okay?”

“Yeah… just miss the others.”

“You’ll see them again soon enough.” He kissed your head. “Some things just have to change first.”

“Huh?”

Lucas pulled you back, and you noticed the singular chair, which he was guiding you over to. You stopped in your tracks but his hand didn’t let go, and he tugged you towards him.

“Don’t be scared.”

“Lucas… what are you doing?”

“Helping.”

“How are-”

He sat you down and strapped you in, like it was some kind of roller coaster. When you tried to fiddle with belts he grabbed your hands and held them away. You were scared, and now that you had been linked with him for longer you began to realize he wasn’t really your Lucas, at least not how you remembered him. Something was very wrong.

“Lucas… what’s going on?”

“You’ll see.”

Lucas smiled and kissed you softly. His lips tasted weird, and then you felt it, a wave of exhaustion hitting you. He had drugged you, and your panic was trying to override the sedative. You tried again for the belt but your hands weren’t responding as fast and you just couldn’t get a grip on it. After a moment Lucas cupped your cheek and had you look at him. Your vision was spinning, but you could still see that smile on his face.

“Everything is going to be okay, I promise.”

“Lucas…”

You vaguely saw him put something in his ears, but before you could dwell on it you began to feel this ringing in your head. All the doors on the train opened, you could feel Mark and Taeyong again, but also became very aware about your sudden loss of connection to Lucas, and lack of being able to reach Ten. Then the ringing turned to pain and you screamed.

You couldn’t control it, and worse of all you knew you were causing Mark and Taeyong pain as well. Whatever happened to Lucas, whatever they did to him, this must have been the plan, to use you against your team. You didn’t know how much time had passed but you knew that the pain eventually knocked the two others out, and it wasn’t until then that it settled down. You were exhausted in a way you had never been before.

You could barely hear Lucas, he was talking, although you weren’t sure to who. Although you got a good idea when you think you saw Ten come in, just as unaffected by your pain as Lucas. Nothing made sense but you couldn’t dwell on it as you closed your eyes, and your world faded to black. You could only wonder what had become of the other two, and hope they would be alright despite what you’ve done.

You didn’t know how long you had been out for, but when you came to, you were somewhere different. You were lying on a marble white floor, it seemed nothing was around you, that is until you noticed the elevator, and who was by it. Lucas and Ten stood quietly, watching you, giving nothing away. You tried to get up but you were still too weak to do so, the best you could do was sit up.

“Where are we?” You asked. “What’s happening? What are you doing? What about-”

You stopped asking questions when the elevator doors opened and someone unfamiliar to you stepped out. That’s when you realized you weren’t linked to anyone, and this new person, you couldn’t connect to them either. If you had been blind, you wouldn’t have really known if you were alone or not. You were scared, the fear and panic from before being built on with what was going on now.

“Who… who are you…”

“I’m here to help you.” The man spoke. “So that you may reach your true potential.”

The three began to approach you, and you crawled back as best you could. Suddenly two others appeared in a mist, more strangers to you, and then there weren’t strangers. Mark and Taeyong appeared as well, but they were different. You noticed how their eyes were vacant and that they weren’t all there. A few tears slid down your face, you had no idea what was going to happen to you. The man who seemed to be the leader knelt down in front of you and held his hand out, a soft but wicked smile on his face.

“Consider this your induction. It’s nice to finally meet you, y/n.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Leave us.”

You remained silent, not wanting to give this guy anything else. He didn’t seem annoyed, more like proud in some twisted way. Although when he asked to be left alone with you, everyone seemed to come to life.

“We’re not just gonna leave.” Lucas stepped forward but Kai stopped him. “You can’t-”

“Now.”

“You can trust him, y/n.” Ten added. “Promise.”

In the blink of an eye everyone else was gone, and then you were blinded by a white light that came from nowhere. Once the flash had passed you found that you were in another room, like some kind of office, and it was big. He smirked and got up, grabbing himself a drink.

“Is there something you’d like to ask me?”

“Let me go.”

“I’m Taemin. You haven’t met my associates yet, but you did see them. The smaller gentleman is Baekhyun, don’t piss him off. The other was Kai, don’t piss him off either. We’re just like you.”

“Like me?”

“Yes my dear, you and your team aren’t the only special ones in the world.”

At the mention of your team you couldn’t help but worry about them. Lucas and Ten were confusing you, but Mark and Taeyong were a higher concern.

“What-”

“You must be worried about Mark and Taeyong, right?”

“Can you-”

“Read minds? Like you? No, that’s not my gift, but I can imagine what is going through your head.”

“What did you do to them?”

“You’re not going to like the answer.”

“Tell me.”

“I didn’t do anything to them, you did.”

“Me? What… what did I-”

“Your little… session on the train. You gave them a psychic lobotomy. Temporary of course, they’ll recover.”

“I… no, no I would never hurt them!”

“Not intentionally, and this was an accident, well, an accident I caused.”

“What…”

“A little demonstration, show you something amazing you can do.”

“Lobotomizing people isn’t amazing or something I want to do!”

“Darling, I have your best interest at heart, promise. You have no idea what you’re capable of.”

“And you do?”

“Of course, you’re only using a small percentage of your power. I want to help you.”

“I don’t want your help.”

“But you need it.”

“I don’t want to hurt people.”

“But they want to hurt you.”

“What?”

Taemin took a sip of his drink and went over to sit at his desk. He gestured for you to take a seat across from him. All you did was stand up and walk closer to him, wanting to keep your distance. You looked around the place, taking in your surroundings and seeing a door, that was your exit.

“Do you remember… how you got your powers?”

“I don’t… no…”

“I do.”

“How?”

“Cause I was there that night.”

“What night?”

“Your birthday… at the One Hundred Club.”

“What…”

“You friends got you a private room, VIP section. I saw your little party, you were quite loud, and you seemed to be enjoying yourself.”

“What were you doing there?”

“Having fun, it was a club after all, but do you remember what happened?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That night… the club had a special drink, free for those in VIP. Do you remember the taste?”

“It… it tasted weird… but then…”

“Then it hit, and you had the most amazing time of your life.”

“What are you getting at?”

“That drink wasn’t some club promotion, it was an experiment. This secret organization was testing their new serum to see if they could create superhuman abilities in people.”

You scoffed. “If that was the case there would be more of us, it’d be all over the news.”

“That’s the thing love, the survival rate was very low.”

“That amount of deaths would be all over the news too.”

“You’d think, but you see, the serum worked slowly. You’d get your buzz like any alcoholic drink promises, and once you came down, that’s when the changes began. For some it would take a while to show any signs of power, others wound up dead, but of course those failures were covered up.”

“Bullshit.”

“Not at all. This organization knew what they were doing. They knew exactly who took the serum, and kept tabs on all their test subjects. This was top secret after all.”

“How can you possibly know all this.”

“Cause they told me… well, I found out on my own. When I escaped.”

“Escaped…”

“I was one of the few to show potential early on… I didn’t know what was happening to me… but I remember the night they found me so vividly.”

“I was stumbling around, out on the streets when a car suddenly approached. I didn’t know what to expect, I probably seemed like a drunk to the average person, but they knew better. Men in black stepped out of the car and grabbed me. They tied me up and threw me in the trunk. I tried to scream for help, but it was pointless.”

“…”

“The trip was long, and when I got out I found myself in some kind of lab. Bright white lights, scientists everywhere, and all kinds of medical equipment around. I thought I was going to die. Instead I was thrown into a cell.” Taemin took another sip of his drink. “Eventually someone came to talk to me, told me I was special, and that I could do some good. That’s when my training began.”

“Your training?”

“They helped me discover my power and taught me how cultivate it. Of course I wasn’t the only one there. Once I was stable, I got to meet the other subjects. There weren’t many of us to begin with, but that’s when I met Baekhyun.”

“His powers didn’t mess him up like they did me, so he tried to run when the organization came for him, but he got caught.”

“Just like you.”

“He did struggle once he began trying to use his ability, but he eventually learned. We grew close, even became friends. You know it didn’t seem so bad. It was incredible to have power, but the organization had other plans for us. Once we had better control of our gifts, the tests began.”

“Tests?”

“That’s where I finally met Kai. He was very quiet, and kept to himself at first. It made sense considering he thought he was the only one who survived.”

“That’s also when I learned the three of us were all that remained.”

“What?”

“We were the only survivors.”

“But… you said there were other subjects with you, and then all the others from the club.”

“Yes, but I also told you the survival rate for that serum was low. Out of everyone in the VIP section that night, how many do you think actually survived and developed powers?”

“I don’t know…”

“Seven.”

“Seven?”

“Yes, which means-”

“We’re the only ones… out of the hundreds who…”

“Precisely, so you can understand why they’d want to study us beyond our powers, maybe find out why we survived. Seven wasn’t the number they were expecting, but it was far better than none. Although it did annoy the organization that you and your little boyfriends managed to elude them by sheer luck.”

“We did?”

“You and your party left the club before all the test subjects could be properly identified and tagged. You got on Lucas’ private jet and flew who knows where to keep the party going, escaping the organization by mere moments. It wasn’t until your boyfriends popped up robbing banks and stealing art that the organization could confirm they were alive and identify their powers. You on the other hand, you’re still a mystery to them.”

“Me?”

“Your file was the only one that was marked unknown.”

“But you said-”

“Seven. As in me and my guys, plus your boys. Your team has made public appearances, but you’ve remained hidden and behind the scenes. The organization doesn’t know if you’re alive, and even if they did, they don’t know what your power is.”

“But you do?”

“I’ve made that clear, haven’t I?”

“So if you know, then doesn’t that mean this organization-”

“I’ve cut ties. I’m no longer associated with them.”

“What happened?”

Taemin smirked.

“They turned me into a weapon… and I loved it.”

“You killed people?”

“I did everything. Kill, steal, kidnap, hospitalize, and it was so much fun. With Baekhyun and Kai at my side, we were unstoppable.”

“If you enjoyed it so much… why did you leave.”

“Because of you.”

“… why me…”

“As you can imagine, once your boys revealed themselves, my team was tasked with bringing them in. We watched from a distance, gathering information, and we noticed a lot.”

“Like what?”

“The boys never spoke to each other while heisting, and even when things got complicated they moved perfectly, as if they were always in contact. I had my theory about you, and I was right.”

“You never saw me, how the hell could you have figured out my power? And what do I have to do with you leaving the organization that weaponized you?”

“Because once I learned what you were capable of, I realized you are exactly what they want, what they’ve always wanted. So I had to have you for myself.”

“What? I thought-”

“They took my life and twisted it, turning me into a monster. I enjoyed it, I’ll admit that, but I never planned to maintain my loyalty to them. They killed hundreds of innocent people and the world doesn’t know. You can’t even imagine what they did to me and my team. They need to be stopped, and you’re the key.”

You scoffed. “What makes you think I’m going to help you?”

“You wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt Mark or Taeyong, would you?”

“I swear, if you hurt them!”

“I won’t, but that’s up to you.”

“Then what the fuck was that on the train?”

“A small display of power, just to assure you and the others we are very capable. Also to show you that I can help you grow.”

“What about Ten and Lucas? They helped you… didn’t they?”

“I approached them long before today, they understand what I plan to achieve.”

“So they betrayed us… for you…”

“My intention is for us all to get along dear, we’re the only survivors of that night. And the organization that did this to us has to pay for what they’ve done.”

“I don’t hold the same grudge as you.”

“Then I shall enlighten you on my grievances as we go along.” Taemin stood and made his way past you. “Shall we begin?”


	3. Chapter 3

“Where’s Ten?”

Heisting had basically become second nature. They were good at it, they worked like a well oiled machine, but this time, it should have raised some flags. Nothing was wrong, nothing went wrong at all, but Ten being a little late to the extraction point just wasn’t like him. Taeyong should have questioned the situation more, but he didn’t. Once they were back home, celebration broke out, and with you in their arms, it was easy to forget.

Taeyong took in a deep breath, coming back to himself, although he couldn’t see anything. He reached up to his face, discovering some sorta contraption on his head that blocked his vision. With his sight blocked he had to rely on his other sense. He was sitting, and moments ago his head had been resting on a metal table. He didn’t want to get up, so instead he focused on trying to create a double to help him out. Instead he screamed.

As he tried to use his power he was electrocuted, becoming aware of the collar around his neck. He took a moment to catch his breath and then reached up to the collar. He knew attempting to take it off would be a bad idea so he didn’t bother, and he didn’t try to use his power again. To be confined like this, and rendered powerless, it was unheard of, he never even thought it possible. Then the memories of before came to the surface, and he started to worry about you and the rest of his team.

“I see you’re awake.”

A voice boomed in his ears. It sounded like it was over some speaker, so he was alone in the room. He looked around even though it was pointless, just some weird instinct.

“Who are you?”

“You’ve met one of my associates, well, you fought them, but that’s in the past.”

“Who are you? Where’s y/n? And Mark?”

“They’re fine.”

“If you hurt them-”

“I have… and I will, for your own sakes. You have no idea what you’re capable of.”

“What do you want from us!”

“Understanding… cooperation… but for now, it’s just about you. There’s some food on the table, in case you get hungry.”

“Answer me! What is this!”

“A test. I just want to know if you’re willing to push yourself to be better.”

“Better?”

“You create, but you don’t connect, so you have to realize the power you hold. We’ll keep in touch though.”

“What? What does that mean?”

There was no response, so Taeyong found himself alone again. He moved his hands around the table until he found the food and water bottle. He was certainly being held captive, but he wasn’t sure by who or to what end. At the moment he could only identify the teleporter he fought on the train, and the voice from before wasn’t his. Whoever these people were, they had powers, and the knew of his, and how to stop him. Although he couldn’t help but worry about you the most. Things had gone so wrong so fast on the train, and he had no idea what your condition was, especially now.

❤

“So tell me, what can you do?”

You followed Taemin out of his office and into a white hallway. The place certainly felt like some government facility. It made you a bit uncomfortable, and you couldn’t understand how he could live there given his past, if it was true.

“Didn’t we just talk about that?”

“Amuse me.”

“I’m telepathic.”

“Now how does that work?”

“Huh?”

“Break your power down, and tell me how it works?”

“I… I don’t…”

“Then let’s look at Ten. He can heal, but the human body heals on its own. So, it’s more appropriate to say his power is to speed up, or boost, the body’s natural healing capabilities.”

“I… I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”

“And you function with an enhanced frequency.”

“Frequency?”

“Everyone’s thoughts, and actions, creates a certain frequency their minds imite, and you are capable of interpreting those.”

“So I’m a radio, picking up, and transmitting signals?”

Taemin chuckled. “That’s a very simple way to put it, good job.”

“Then how exactly are you able to block my powers? Or do you not feel like sharing?”

“Your powers function on a special frequency, but it’s a frequency nonetheless, one that can be interfered with.”

“So you’re wearing tin foil?”

“Not quite, but once I had a better read on your frequency it wasn’t hard to figure out how to block it, just a precaution I assure you. I’ll let you in my head one day.”

“I don’t know if I want to be in there.”

“Good answer.”

“So you know how my powers work, how does that help me?”

“It helps me, help you. Telepathy barely scratches the surface of what you can do.”

“And what makes you think I can do more?”

“I believe you can.”

“That’s touching but-”

“I have hope for you y/n, expectations, and I’m afraid I have to push you.”

“What?”

You came to a door, one of many, and it opened on it’s own. You were still processing Taemin’s words but he dragged you inside. The room looked more like a lab, all kinds of tech around, and then you were shoved into a chair. Metal cuffs locked down your wrists and then you began to panic.

“Taemin, what are you doing!?”

“I want to run some tests, find your limits.”

“I thought you did that on the train!”

“No, I needed you to take care of your teammates and yourself for an easy extraction, but it did well to prove you can pick up on certain frequencies, so everything should work out.”

“Taemin!”

“Believe me I don’t want to do this, but it’s necessary. We have to go beyond your limits to unlock your potential.”

“You said you wanted to help…”

“I do, but we can’t be kind… they never were.”

“But you’re not them!”

“And you don’t exactly want to cooperate with me, do you?”

“…”

“You’ll thank me later.”

“Wait!”

❤

Darkness. It’s where one remains when unconscious. A place with no light, so when you awaken, you find that you are in fact alive. You’re flooded with color, and the world isn’t so scary. Yet this is where Mark found himself when he finally came to his senses, in darkness. He was seated, a table before him. He wasn’t restrained, but he was blind. He could feel something on his head, he knew something was blocking his vision. As he reached up to touch the device, a voice spoke, capturing his attention.

“You’re awake.”

“Who’s there?”

“That’s not important right now, you are.”

“What?”

“The device on your head is locked in place, only I can unlock it. If you attempt to remove it, the collar around your neck will electrocute you until you pass out.”

“Thanks… so you’re saying I’m trapped.”

“In a way, yes.”

“You knew about y/n’s powers, so don’t you know about mine?”

“I do.”

“Then you know I’m not really trapped, I can just portal out of here.”

“You could… couldn’t you? I’m curious if you really would. As I understand your power, you can only portal to places you’ve been. You can go home, free yourself, but you’d have no way of coming back. You don’t know where you are. If you portal out of here you leave your team, your friends, behind, you leave y/n behind. I wonder… what you’ll choose.”

“What do you want?!”

“Patience.”

“Huh?”

There was no response, and the voice was gone. Mark reached up to his face, feeling the device on his head, as well as the collar around his neck. He was told that trying to remove the head gear would electrocute him, and the same could be said if he tried the collar, so he was stuck. After a moment he slowly stood up, hands outstretched, trying to figure out where he was based on touch. He took his shoes and socks off, his feet met with a cold tile floor.

He walked slowly, his hands always moving to find something to grab onto. It was very disorienting to move around in the darkness, but it was his only options. He eventually found a wall, feeling around, and moving with it. As he walked he could assume the walls were cement, the ceiling higher than he could reach, and the room itself was four walls. Despite walking the perimeter, all he touched was the wall, there were no cracks, no sign of a door at all.

It seemed that his only real method of escape was to use a portal, even without seeing he’d know where it was, but what was said before was true. He could only go to familiar places, and this palace, wherever it was, was foreign. If he left, he’d have no way back, and he wasn’t going to leave his friends behind. With that on his mind he began to wonder where they were, and if they were alright. The last thing he could remember was pain.

❤

“He can’t just take her like that!”

After Taemin disappeared with you, Lucas was a bit upset. He didn’t like the idea of letting you out of his sight. He already felt bad about the train incident, not knowing just how much pain you would have been in. When the train came to a stop, he didn’t want anyone else grabbing you, so he took you in his arms. Although Kai was quick to make you disappear from his hands, there were other plans for you. It was irritating, realizing how out of the loop he really was. Now at this unknown location, things were once again out of his control, and Ten was talking him down.

“You know she’ll be fine. They need to talk so she can understand.”

“And what about the rest of us? Mark and Taeyong? They were labo- something by her!”

“It’s not permanent.”

“How would you know? Did you know y/n could do something like that?”

“No, but it’s one of the many things we don’t know about her.”

“And these people do? You said no one would get hurt!”

“Things didn’t go to plan, I’ll admit that, but she’s going to be okay, we all will.”

“I want to see her.”

“Later, Taemin needs to talk with her first.”

Lucas just glared, but let it go, for now. This was their first time in this place too, so there were other matters that needed to be addressed. Kai was nowhere to be seen, so Baekhyun gave them a run down of their hideout, and where they would be staying. Lucas wanted to ask about the other two boys, but kept quiet. 

“You’ll figure this place out eventually.”

“Thanks.”

“I got some things to take care of, scream for Kai if you get lost.”

Once Baekhyun was gone, Lucas started walking. Ten followed, not sure what the idea was, or where they were going.

“What’s up?”

“I need to find y/n.”

“She’s gonna be fine.”

“I know you trust these people, but I’m starting to have doubts.”

“You already know how we got these powers, the people who did this to us need to pay, they need to be stopped.”

“And look at this place? This doesn’t scream some secret facility to you?”

“What’s your point?”

“How do you know those three aren’t fucking with us? Gaining our trust, bringing us here, so then that organization or whatever can come in and start experimenting with us.”

“I doubt that.”

“I don’t trust them.”

“This is all new, I get that, but you heard them. We are capable of more than we think, we’re stronger, don’t you want to know what else you can do?”

“What else can I possibly do with super hearing? Or you with your healing? Mark makes portals, that’s already pretty powerful, and Taeyong can duplicate himself. What more is there?”

“I don’t know, but don’t you want to find out?”

“Maybe, but not from these people.”

“Okay, fine, but look at this place, you aren’t going to find her anywhere.”

“I can try.”

“Don’t do anything stupid, please.”

“Just worry about yourself.”

“Lucas.”

“I’ll be fine.”

❤

There was some sort of buzz in your head, it made everything unclear, unfocused. You couldn’t really register anything, but something wasn’t right, something was missing. Taemin had created his own hypothesis on your powers, and how certain frequencies could affect you. As he moved around the dial, it seemed the frequencies could kinda guide you, or at least focus your energy. Although without someone on the other end for you to read, nothing could be confirmed yet. Kai suddenly appeared in the chair next to him, spinning around in it.

“Having fun?”

“You know I’m not.”

Kai glanced over at you, seeing your eyes unfocused, staring off into space. There were some tears as well, although he still felt you had it easy compared to what he had gone through.

“She seems to be doing well.”

“She’s not all there at the moment, but she’s been responding better than I thought.”

“But what you don’t have what you want? Do you?”

“I’d need her to actually display that power first.”

“You think you can actually do it?”

“There’s only one way to find out. How are the others?”

“Baekhyun is with our new associates, showing them around, and our two guests are still in their rooms. You think they’ll actually figure something out?”

“Taeyong, perhaps, if he can handle some pain. I doubt Mark can even think that far, but he’s too rebellious to just keep without restrictions. He needs to break first.”

“And you trust our… associates will behave too?”

“Ten understands, Lucas on the other hand… will probably have to be confined to his room, but we can give him a chance to show his loyalty.”

“You know when you’re done she’s gonna be pissed.”

“Inconsequential. I don’t necessarily need her cooperation for this.”

“Sometimes you really do make this place feel like the hell we escaped.”

“As if we’re saints. We have a lot to make up for, and this is a step in the right direction.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Doesn’t mean I do either.”

The door to the lab suddenly opened, and Baekhyun walked in. As he did so you let out a scream, squirming in the chair, but unable to escape. A few new tears fell from your face.

“Aren’t you being nice.”

“And aren’t you supposed to be keeping our new friends company.”

“They’re just boring, figured they could get lost somewhere. They’ll scream for Kai if they need help.”

“Why you gotta bring me into this.”

“We’re all responsible for them, are we not?”

“Ugh.”

“We’re supposed to get along.” Taemin reminded. “Or have you forgotten?”

“I’ll make an effort, just not today.” Baekhyun took a seat as well. “She’s really pretty isn’t she. If the organization knew what she was capable of, we’d all be thrown under the bus.”

“It’s a good thing we found her first then.”

“How’s it going?”

“Better than I hoped. Now can you stop asking questions, I’m-”

The door suddenly opened again, and Lucas ran in, followed by Ten. Before they could get close to you they were pinned against the wall, held in place by an invisible force.

“Someone’s in trouble.” Kai teased, poking Baekhyun. “You shouldn’t have-”

“How did you get here?” Taemin questioned.

“You think her scream isn’t embedded in my skull!” Lucas spat. “What are you doing to her.”

“Ah, your hearing guided you, very good. You didn’t make any wrong turns did you?”

“Let her go!”

“What are you doing, Taemin?” Ten asked. “Why are you hurting her?”

“I suppose you both coming here is a good thing.”

Both boys suddenly fell to the floor. Lucas tried to get up and get to you, but then the necklace he had on was ripped off and flew across the room. He then dropped to his knees, holding his head. Ten soon found himself in the same position, without protection, and recognizing your touch in his mind again. You on the other hand were now mumbling nonsense, although Taemin could make out some of it.

“What is she saying?” Kai asked.

“She’s vocalizing their thoughts… I see she found something to focus on.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Her focus is on them, only them, so frequencies can absolutely disrupt her own sense of self, amplify her gifts till it consumes her.”

“That wasn’t part of your hypothesis, was it?”

“A great discovery. Take Lucas, he won’t be cooperating anytime soon.”

“Sure.”

Kai teleported over to Lucas, and then the two were gone. After a moment Taemin shut off his machine, but you kept mumbling for a while longer until you finally came down, sinking into the chair. Ten was still recovering from his headache, crawling over to you. He came to your side, getting on his knees to see your face, half conscious. He could still feel you in his mind, but it was a weak and tired touch.

“What the hell… are you doing?”

“Testing her limitations. Psychic energy is vast and dangerous, even to herself.”

“She’s in pain… you’re-”

“Pain can be a cruel teacher.”

“Is this your plan? This is how you want to help her?”

“There is more you all need to unlock, and sheer will power won’t do it for you.”

“How do you know? How can you-”

Ten suddenly flew across the room, crashing against the wall, once again pinned to it. Taemin kept his gaze locked on him as he stepped over to you. For a moment he focused on you, running a hand through your hair, then grabbing your chin so you’d look at him. You didn’t focus but were vaguely aware of his presence.

“She has it easier than I did, than any of us.”

“Enough with the pity card! What are you doing!”

“You know what we can do, Ten. So tell me, what’s Baekhyun’s power?”

“He can manipulate light, so what?”

“Light, you mean turn them on and off right?” To fit the mood, Baekhyun did that for a moment. “Perhaps blind you if he creates a light bright enough?”

“What’s-”

Ten stopped when he realized he wasn’t in the room anymore, instead floating over a pit of lava. He screamed, the heat starting to hit him, and burn.Yet Taemin approached him, walking on air, not at all concerned or affected by the scenery change.

“Manipulate lights, that’s all he thought he could do too, but the organization wasn’t going to stop there. Did you know, a bright enough light can permanently blind you? Or that the intensity of light can cause a fire? Burn you to a crisp in a second if it’s just right too. You must feel really hot right now, don’t you? Where did Baekhyun put you? Inside an oven?”

“What?”

“Everything you see in your life is just light bouncing off objects, then reflected in your eyes so your brain can create an image. What do you think someone who can manipulate light can do with that kinda information?”

“I…”

“Turning the lights on and off, creating fires, and blinding people wasn’t enough. No, they pushed Baekhyun again, and again, until he could manipulate light in a manner to fool your own eyes. But to put it simply, he can create hallucinations. He can make you see whatever he wants you to see. I assure you we’re still in the lab, and you’re in no danger of burning up, but you can’t deny what you see, right?”

Ten screamed when he suddenly fell, but he only fell a few inches before he hit the ground. It was like he was on glass above an active volcano, he could still feel the heat though.

“You can heal, but do you have any idea what else you might be able to do?” Taemin took a breath. “Baekhyun that’s enough.”

In the blink of an eye Ten was back in the lab, staring at the ground, the heat of the volcano fading. He looked up at Taemin, speechless.

“I can’t go easy on any of you, because what you’re capable of is beyond comprehension. I’m not going to throw you out, we only have each other, but I’ll have no problem teaching you the hard way.”

“All our powers are different… how can you teach us anything?”

“I can teach you to go beyond the surface.”

“And what exactly do you think I can do?”

Taemin smirked. “Healing is a matter of time, isn’t it?”

“So…”

“In a sense you can speed up time, can’t you? So who says you can’t reverse it?”

“What?”

“We have a lot to discuss, but now is not the time. You need to recover, and so does she. We’ll talk in a bit, okay.”

Taemin walked over to you, telling Baekhyun to escort Ten to his own room. Then he took you in his arms and walked out. Ten could only watch, not strong enough to move, and still pondering over his words. There was still so much he didn’t know, and he had to question his loyalties now.


	4. Chapter 4

Ten couldn’t rest even if exhaustion was calling to him. Things were different, this isn’t what he imagined when forming a relationship with Taemin. He knew this place well enough that he could find Taemin’s office all on his own.

“We need to talk.”

“I expected you sooner.” Taemin’s eyes didn’t leave the tablet in his hands. “Although I still recommend you get some rest. Baekhyun’s hallucinations have lingering effects on the vision, especially after the first time.”

“Noted, but this is about you.”

“It’s not. This isn’t about me, it’s about you, and your concerns. Having doubts?”

“You told me we were going to work together to take down this group, instead you’ve locked up my friends and are torturing them! What reason do I have to trust you?”

“Then tell me what you’re going to do if you no longer trust me? Attack me? Find your friends and escape?”

“…”

“You don’t have options, Ten. You’ve made your choice, so stick with it.”

“Why should I?”

“Because y/n is safe.”

“Safe?” Ten scoffed. “Weren’t you torturing her five minutes ago?”

“I was looking for her limits, psychic energy is very dangerous when left unattended. She’s like a bomb, and if not for me, she would have gone off.”

“Huh?”

“My team was tasked with bringing just the four of you in, and the Organization had no idea about y/n’s existence. You tell me what would have happened to y/n if you were all suddenly ripped away from her? Didn’t you get a taste of that when we took Lucas? And while you were on the train?”

“She…”

“She would have lost her mind. Spiraled into madness and who knows how many people would have gotten hurt in the aftermath. You’re near, she knows that, so nothing I do will set her off, and I also know how to monitor her energy levels. She won’t hurt anyone.”

“But you’ll hurt her.”

“It only hurts because she’s never used her powers this way, she’ll adjust.”

“Then what?”

“We’ll be unstoppable.”

“You say all these things, but I don’t know what you’re planning! How can I trust you if you refuse to be honest!”

“Because how can I trust you when you’re not even at full power? How can I trust you to follow my lead and understand what we’re up against if all you can do is heal a paper cut?”

“What exactly do you think I can do?”

“Finally, we’re on subject. You heal, but all you’ve ever done are minor injuries. What happens if someone loses a limb?”

“I… we’re not that careless, and I doubt you are, so be realistic.”

“Good, that’s the attitude to have. So let’s focus on you. All you’ve ever done is heal your teammates right? Nothing too serious.”

“Yeah.”

“So we can say humans are organic material.”

“Yes? What-”

Taemin grabbed the apple on his desk and bit into it. He tossed it over to Ten who held it in disgust.

“What-”

“Fix it.”

“Fix it?”

“Yes.”

“I… I don’t… what?”

“Aren’t apples organic material as well? They come from plants which are living things, just like people.”

“That doesn’t… I can’t heal an apple?”

“Have you ever even tried?”

“No, why would this-”

“Try.”

“I can’t.”

“Amuse me. Close your eyes, and whatever you do to heal your friends, do it now.”

Ten sighed and did as Taemin asked. He didn’t expect anything to come from it, but he knew the other could be so persistent. When he healed someone, it just took a moment, and he wasn’t really putting much effort into this. He opened his eyes and looked at the apple, looking for the bite mark to show Taemin, but it wasn’t there anymore. He examined the apple over and over again before his gaze turned to Taemin.

“How…”

“You can heal life, is that so hard to understand? I’d just like to know how far you can take it.”

Taemin’s phone chimed, and he checked the message. Without another word he walked out of his office, Ten quick to follow, still astonished by his own powers.

“How did you know I could do that?”

“I don’t know… I have faith.”

“Then… what exactly do you think I can do?”

“The better question is what do you think? I told you of Baekhyun yesterday, in order to figure out what you can do, you need to think beyond the surface.”

“But there is… a limit? Within my own abilities right?”

“Of course, you can heal, so build from that.”

“But I can’t… I don’t get this like you…and what about the others? What can they do?”

“That’s for them to discover, but I’ll indulge you once, you made progress after all.”

“Huh?”

“Pick one.”

“Ah… Mark, he can create portals, what more do you think he can do?”

“He’s only ever used them as a means of escape, never for combat.”

“Combat?”

“He has heart, that’s proven by the fact he’s still here even though he could escape. I fear he lacks the courage and confidence to do more.”

“Wait, what do you mean combat? How can he use it to fight?”

“Wouldn’t it be interesting to see him morph his portals into a shield? Create one like a suit of armor, covering him completely, and making him untouchable.”

“A shield… that’s insane.”

“As was healing an apple, wasn’t it?”

“Then… what is it you want me to do?”

“Good question.” 

Taemin stopped, Ten right behind him. There was a large painting on the wall. For a moment Taemin glanced at it, and then it shattered. Ten jumped when the painting broke, a masterpiece ruined.

“What the hell?”

“I have faith… that you will restore it one day.”

Ten stayed put, staring at the remains, and then down at the apple. He just discovered something new about his powers, and yet Taemin expected him to do this. He reached out to touch the painting, what was left of it anyway. It wasn’t alive the way he or an apple was, but in its own ways it had lived. The goal was to bring it back to life one day, and that he vowed to do.

❤

“Get up.”

Taeyong wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating sounds, or if he was still dreaming. His world was still bathed in darkness, so he had to rely on his other senses, but he wasn’t that confident in them.

“I said get up.”

A slight kick to the side assured him he wasn’t alone, and that was surprising. He found the mattress on the floor, and now he had to get up. Without his sight he was still pretty disoriented, but the smell of food motivated him to get up. Although he crashed into the table at first, he eventually managed to sit down.

“Eat.”

“How? I can’t-”

Before he could finish food was shoved in his mouth. He choked a bit before spitting it out, not trusting the food.

“Aish, you think we’re going to poison you? After all that trouble we went through to bring you here? If we wanted to kill you we would have done so on the train.”

“Why am I here then?”

“To help.”

“Help?”

“We all share a common enemy.”

“And who would that be?”

“The people who cursed us with these gifts.”

“Huh?”

“Shall I tell you about how you got your powers?”

“I-”

“Eat.”

Taeyong didn’t have much of a choice as food was shoved in his mouth, and he was hungry, so he ate as well. This stranger told him about that night, and the events that transpired.

“This… wasn’t some accident.”

“You and your friends getting powers? Don’t you think that’s too much of a coincidence?”

“How many… how many died…”

“Hundreds, and no one knows about it.”

“So we’re here then… with…”

“No. We’re no longer associated with them, so you’re safe.”

“Where are the others?”

“Safe as well.”

“Let me see them.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Cause you need to restore your vision.”

“What? You people are the reason I can’t see shit!”

“Then fix it.”

“Me? How!”

“You tell me. I thought you could make duplicates of yourself.”

“I can’t see through their eyes!”

“Says who?”

“Huh?”

“Let’s make a deal then.”

“Deal?”

“I’ll let you see someone when you can tell me what color my hair is.”

“Your… how many guesses do I get?”

“One.”

“And if I fail?”

“I suppose y/n will be upset.”

“Have you hurt her! What happened to her on the train.”

“Questions for another time. You can do more than you think.”

“Wait.”

“Hm?”

“Can I at least get your name?”

“Baekhyun. Don’t hurt yourself too much.”

Taeyong let the words sit, trying to process the meaning. Being blind was driving him crazy, he was starting to worry he’d actually lose his vision. Baekhyun gave him some strange advice, but nonetheless it intrigued him. When he tried to create a double the collar just shocked him again, forcing him to stop. It wasn’t too bad of a shock, and he felt that if he pushed through the pain, he could actually achieve something. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for another shot.

❤

You opened your eyes feeling dizzy, the events of the past still unclear. You didn’t recognize the room you were in, let alone where you were. Regardless, the plain white walls were freaking you out. When you tried to get out of bed you just collapsed, the world still spinning. You were trying to reach the door, but you just didn’t have the strength. You tried to get up, and that’s when the door opened.

“Getting up probably wasn’t the best idea.”

Taemin picked you up off the ground and sat you down in bed. He brought in some food, attempting to feed you.

“I can do it myself.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah…”

You tried to grab the utensils, but your hands were shaking too much. Taemin chuckled over your efforts and fed you himself.

“Thanks…”

“I told you I would do it.”

“This… this feeling won’t last… right?”

“It’s temporary. You’ve never used your powers in such a way, so you need to adjust.”

“What did you do… to me…”

“You’ve only ever used your powers for conversations, you never done much else with it, like read minds.”

“I never wanted to do that…”

“It’s okay with the bad guys. You always could have done more for your boys you know, but I understand why they left you behind. Best to keep you safe, you couldn’t do much compared to them.”

“It was my choice to stay.”

“Of course.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You tell me? They’ve always babied you haven’t they? Keep you at home, give you whatever you want, even before you got your powers right? After all, they threw you a big party on your birthday.”

“That-”

“In their eyes you’re weak, always have been, and your powers only proved that.”

“I’m not weak!”

“Prove it then.” Taemin took off his necklace. “Read my mind dear. What am I thinking?”

“I…”

Taemin just gave you a smile, leaning forward as if that would help. You tried to read his mind, or at least connect, but when you tried you just screamed in agony.

“Nice try love.” Taemin grabbed the necklace. “I’ll give you points for your effort.”

“What… how…”

“I knew I’d meet you one day, so I’ve prepared. Why don’t we try with someone less powerful?”

“I…”

“Let’s go.”

Taemin took your hand and led you out of the room. The world wasn’t spinning anymore but you were still a bit dazed. You didn’t even know what time of day it was given that the halls were mostly plain, and there was no clock in sight. You wound up in a darker room, a man chained to the wall and gagged in the corner. You glanced at Taemin confused.

“What-”

“This gentleman here was our handler.”

“Handler?”

“Yes. The Organization wouldn’t just let us go out on our own, we had our handler here who would keep us on a tight leash and report back on our behaviors. We were a covert group after all, can’t draw too much attention.”

“What… what do you want me to do?”

“To practice, and get some answers for yourself.”

Taemin sat you down in a chair in the room, restraining one of your wrists. You looked at him, panicked again, mentally cursing yourself out for trusting him too easily.

“Taemin, what are you doing?”

“I want you to focus, and not to do anything you’ll regret.”

“Huh?”

“You’re gonna read his mind, it should be easier.”

“But I-”

“Think of it like searching. You said you’re a radio, instead of picking up and receiving signals, look for them, and hone in on what you want to know.”

“But-”

“Have fun. And I’m not letting you out till you do this.”

“Taemin! Taemin, wait!”

He shut the door with a loud bang, and you could hear the lock fall into place. You stared at the door frustrated, wanting to scream but knowing it was useless. Your focus shifted to the restraint but that was no use either. Finally, you had to look at your cellmate, who had been watching you curiously for a while. He was a stranger, and you didn’t necessarily want to connect with him, but Taemin said he wouldn’t let you out until you could read his mind, so you didn’t have a choice.

You honestly hadn’t connected with anyone for so long you needed a moment to remember how to do it. Once you established a link you just felt weird, being in their head just felt like being somewhere foreign and it scared you, but you had to do this. Talking was the easy part, but you had no idea how to go about searching his mind. The boys would always share memories with you if you asked or they wanted, it was ever an intrusion, and you never pried, so this new experience was nerve wracking.

“Hello… can you hear me?”

“Yes, this is incredible, you really are telepathic.”

“Yeah so… you were Taemin’s handler… right?”

“Yes.”

“What… what does that mean?”

“I monitored his behavior and that of his team. Listen, you need to help me.”

“Help?”

“This is all a misunderstanding. Taemin’s gone rogue with the others, and is going to put millions in danger.”

“What? What do you mean? How does that make sense?”

“This Organization Taemin’s been telling you about is a lie. I’m from the government and we’ve been investigating the situation. We don’t know how you all got your powers, or who’s responsible.”

“What? But then… you were Taemin’s handler, you-”

“The boys wanted to know more than any of us where their power came from. They were more than willing to go out on the field to help us in this. When we discovered the rest of you, we were planning on approaching, but with your thievery and disappearances you were hard to track down.”

“Then why did Taemin go rogue? What does he want?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yes, your powers. What you’re capable of and… we need to get out of here.”

“What about me? Why does everyone-”

“Do you have any idea where we are?”

“What? No, I was unconscious and that Kai guy can teleport, so we could be anywhere.”

“We need to find a way to communicate to the outside, I just-”

“Are you buying into his story?” Taemin’s voice came in over a microphone. “Cause all I’m seeing is chit-chatter.”

“I… what are you talking about?”

“Oh please, he’s probably told you some lies about how I’m the true bad guy and he wants to help you and your friends. You’re supposed to discover the truth for yourself, or do you want everything given to you on a silver platter?”

“I don’t know how to read minds! You know this!”

“Then try. How else will you learn if you don’t even make an attempt.”

It went quiet after that, thinking everything over. You had two stories before you, and it’s not like Taemin was a saint in either one of them. He made it sound like reading mind was easy, you had an idea but had never really done anything.

“What do you know about the Organization?”

“It’s not real. Taemin made it up to gain your trust.”

“He doesn’t have that he-”

“How… how many people has he killed?”

“At this point, hundreds, and he’ll kill more.”

You suddenly had something flash before your eyes. A memory that wasn’t your own, but one that had come to the prisoners mind. It was for a moment, but you managed to catch it nonetheless. You saw Taemin dragging someone into the room, the place seemed like a hotel, and a fancy one at that. Kai and Baekhyun came in behind him, staying back. The person was forced on their knees, begging for their life. That was all you managed to see, but it was enough to start telling you something.

“Who do you work for?”

“The government.”

“You’re lying to me. Who do you work for?”

“I’m not lying! Taemin is the one lying to you! He is going to use you for his own gain!”

Another flash. Taemin and his team at some briefing, a briefing on your boys, and of course no mention of you. It seemed like some sorta plan to capture them.

“What can he possibly do to hurt me?”

“You don’t understand what he’s capable of! The more you use your power around him the more he learns!”

“Are you… afraid of Taemin?”

This memory was old, but more intense. You were clearly in some lab, watching Taemin during one of his tests. It seemed to be going well, until Taemin turned on the researchers around him, attacking them, and no doubt killing them. You jumped in your chair.

“What?”

“You… you’re lying… you’re with the Organization, you experimented on him! On all of them!”

“I don’t know what-”

“You just thought of it! I saw it! You are afraid of him! Of them! He could kill you at-”

Perhaps it was just all the emotions in you, but suddenly you were deeper in his head, seeing things he probably never wanted anyone to see. Images of files and experiment results, seeing Taemin and the others tied down to surgical tables and tortured in the name of science. Seeing strangers who displayed powers as well suddenly dead on operating tables. It was all so much you eventually threw up, finally getting out of that nightmare.

The man was hunched over, clearly feeling the effects of your probing as well. You could see it in his eyes now, the real monster he was. He couldn’t pretend anymore, not after all the things you both had witnessed. Anger couldn’t begin to describe what you felt. They may have just been memories, and you were looking through his eyes, but you knew the others you had seen were in unimaginable pain. You got out of your seat, screaming at this man, wanting to beat him over the head for his crimes.

The chair wouldn’t budge and your restraint was taut, so you were rather violently pulling on your arm. In the moment the pain didn’t matter, you just needed to act. You got your chance though when you actually managed to break your hand in a way that let you slip out of your restraint. You didn’t waste a second as you quickly pinned this man to the ground and started punching him, ignoring his muffled pleas for mercy.

❤

“Don’t we still need him?”

On the other side of the monitors, watching all these events unfold were Taemin and Kai, taking in the show. Taemin had been watching everything intently, monitoring your brain waves, well aware that all you were doing at the start was talking. He let it happen, let the man get his lies out before interrupting and taking control of the situation. His hand was gently messing with the dial to force you into the others mind, and force you to go deep to see what you needed to. At least now he could trust that you knew how to read minds, and that he wasn’t lying to you.

“I want to see what she can do on her own.”

“I don’t expect her to have combat experience.”

“Emotions can be a great guide.”

“Are you just manipulating her powers again?”

“Just a bit. She’s a naive girl who needs a push, but she’s learning.”

“And how close are we to getting what we want?”

“We’re getting there, but it won’t do much good unless the others start finding their limits. How are we on that? I’ve sent Ten on the right path.”

“Baekhyun is speaking with Taeyong, and last I checked, he’s trying. We might have to spell things out for Mark, and Lucas… I don’t know, he’s probably still pissed.”

“Talk to him first. Your previous relationship should help things go smoothly. He’s just confused right now, so sort things out. As for Mark… I need y/n in a better place for him.”

“Got it, Lucas it is.”

“Ah, before you go, stop her, please.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Kai teleported into the room, Taemin walking over on his own. When he walked in Kai was holding you back as you kicked around, not done with the beating you were giving the prisoner. The man in question was shaking on the floor, a busted face bleeding on the floor, he was alive, and he’d live.

“Quite the fire in you.” Kai laughed. “Didn’t know you had it in you.”

“He should be dead! Asshole was trying to lie to me to help him! He’s a monster.”

“So you believe me now?”

You stopped struggling, your anger fading to pain. You didn’t know everything, but you knew Taemin rightfully had a bone to pick with these people. You thought he was being a dick, but what was done to him was way worse.

“I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

“What they did… it must have been awful…”

“Something like that.” 

Taemin approached, having Kai release you, and examining your hand. When he grabbed it you flinched from the pain.

“You broke your hand, that’s quite something. You wanted to get revenge for me that bad.”

“I was just… caught in a blind fury.”

“That’s quite dangerous. I suppose it can’t be helped, let’s go find Ten. I’m sure he’d love to see you as well.”


End file.
